Yuzu, even its name is alluring. A member of the citrus family with a tart juice and famously fragrant skin, yuzu is hard to find but as culinary pros explain, well worth seeking out. What is so magical about this diminutive fruit, and what are the best ways to use it? We spoke to cooking teachers, a citrus farmer, and a pioneering liqueur maker to find out when and where to use yuzu in drinks, sauces, and more.
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What Makes Yuzu So Special?
Yuzu is “the small Japanese fruit with a big appeal,” says Tony Marquez, farmer, owner, and operator of Pearson Ranch in Porterville, CA. Fans are passionate about its unique qualities. Los Angeles spirits owner Ann Soh Woods loves the unique and heady aroma and flavor of yuzu so much that she created a liqueur, Yuzuri, with it—and even named her dog after the fruit. Fernando Marulanda, a chef-instructor at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, praises yuzu as a treat for the nose and palate, calling it a "marriage celebration between floral botanicals, citrus fruits, and sunlight."
Marquez explains this aromatic citrus is native to East Asia, and importing it into the United States is illegal, so any yuzu fruits you buy in the U.S. will be grown in California. Yuzu is also available as bottled juice.
How to Eat Yuzu
Yuzu is a refreshing switch-up from the wonderful but ubiquitous lemon and lime, says Ann Ziata, chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education’s New York City campus. Like lemons and limes, yuzu is not usually eaten on its own. The juice is the most frequently used part of the fruit, appearing in sauces, dressings, marinades, and a meat tenderizer for fish, pork, or chicken. The zest and peel are also used.
Flavors That Pair Well With Yuzu
Caramel and green tea are good partners for yuzu says Meghan Dillon, senior nutrition associate at HelloFresh. She also suggests using the citrus with sweeter foods such as jellies, jams, and desserts. Ziata says yuzu also plays well with passion fruit and sesame.
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Using Yuzu Raw
Yuzu juice and zest can be used without heating. Ziata says yuzu zest is lemony with hints of white blossoms, lime leaf, and grapefruit; the pith is quite bitter; and yuzu juice is tart and reminiscent of grapefruit juice with a few drops of mandarin.
When using raw yuzu, Ziata recommends treating the fruit much as you would a lemon. “Give it a little rinse in cold water and dry before zesting. There are seeds too, so you’ll want to strain the juice before using,” she says.
In general, Marulanda says you can use yuzu in any recipe that requires citrus. He encourages this approach to allow experimentation and to find the right balance for your palate.
- Try it in place of lemon or lime juice in salad dressings
- Mince yuzu peel as a garnish for broiled or sauteed fish
- Add finely grated zest and juice to tuna tartare
- Make a yuzu-infused vinegar
Using Yuzu in Drinks
Yuzu is an unsung hero of mocktails and co*cktails, where it's also generally used uncooked. Soh Woods says you can usually replace yuzu for lemon in drink recipes, and if you’re making a lemon or lime twist for a martini, try substituting yuzu peel. She recommends this approach to enjoy the incredible scent that is unlike any other citrus fruit. Ziata is a fan of making a yuzu Tom Collins, a simple, elevated sparkling lemonade co*cktail. “All you need is gin, yuzu juice, simple syrup, club soda, and ice,” she says. Another favorite is a yuzu margarita—just swap the lime juice for yuzu juice.
You can also make refreshing, non-alcoholic yuzu drinks by adding the juice to ginger ale, seltzer, and green tea.
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Cooking with Yuzu
The whole yuzu fruit is used for making marmalades or other preserves but most of the time you’ll likely just use the rind for zest or the juice.
Marulanda and Ziata shared ideas for cooking with yuzu:
- Add a few pieces of yuzu peel to miso soup to give it a whole new dimension of flavor
- Use yuzu in a simple butter sauce or Hollandaise to use with savory proteins
- Make candied yuzu peel to garnish ice cream or sorbet.
- Add the juice and zest to custards or sorbet.
Make Ponzu Sauce: Perhaps the best-known use of yuzu is as an ingredient in ponzu sauce, which is made from citrus juice, soy sauce, vinegar, and dashi, says Ziata. There are many recipes for ponzu sauce, some involve cooking, some a little cooking. Ziata suggests combining a splash of yuzu juice, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and a drop of honey for a no-cook version for stir-fried vegetables. Garnish with lightly toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions, and finely grated yuzu zest if you like. Ponzu sauce can also be used as a marinade or a dipping sauce.
Try Yuzu Granita: For pure yuzu flavor, Marulanda suggests his three-ingredient granita:
- Make a simple syrup, using two parts water to one part sugar.
- Remove the rind from the yuzu and finely dice it.
- Squeeze the juice out of the fruit.
- While the simple syrup is still hot, incorporate the flesh and juice into it and mix until fully incorporated.
- Transfer the mixture into a glass Pyrex or casserole dish, cover and place in the freezer. Freeze for 4 hours; scrape the mixture with a fork every half hour to one hour.
Note: If you can't find the whole yuzu fruit, you can also use yuzu juice, about ¼ to ½cup for the granita.
Tips for Working With Yuzu
- Buying yuzu for the first time? Like most citrus, says Dillon, yuzu ripens in the winter and when shopping for one at the grocer or farmers’ market, seek out fruit that feels heavy for its size with bumpy and firm skin.
- When zesting, the most important rule of thumb is to only zest the top of the peel where the flavor compounds are and avoid grating the white bitter pith into the zest, says Ziata. And, always zest before juicing, she adds.
- If you have more yuzu than you plan on using, we envy you! Ziata says the juice can be frozen. Alternatively, make a big batch of yuzu marmalade.
